Blogging to keep track of my new life since retiring March of 2007. I'll include thoughts, travels, writings, pictures, family and whatever else strikes me.
I would love to hear from you regarding my Blog, trips, suggestions, "hi, how are you's",, etc. My email address is...judereed@earthlink.net

Sunday, January 20, 2013

New Year 2013

Looks like I skipped through Christmas and New Years and am now into January. Facebook has kept me distracted from writing my Blog. So I have to do these catch up entries from time to time. January has been a long, cold month so far. I got home after Christmas and spent New Years as I usually do, at home. This year I at least toasted the New Year with a friend. Progress!

The flu hit me on January 3rd and hung around for a couple weeks. Not very pleasant but now I'm nearly back to normal and getting on with things. During "flu time" AZ. went into deep freeze and we had temps down in the 20's and 30's. Landscaping took a beating but I think I can save the majority of my plants. Weather is get weirder and weirder....climate change is upon us. This past summer in WA. I spent 4 months with only a couple rainy days....wonderful, but strange.

I've got a busy time ahead for the rest of this month. Garage sale time. I found a women who does garage sales as her Business....Klutter Busters. Heaven sent for me. Again I have filled my garage with my thrifting and garage sale finds. Collecting has been my hobby for years but this year I am in a state of overwhelm with all the stuff I have. Decided to put on the shopping brakes and get as much as I can out of my house and garage. Hopefully, in the future, I will be less inclined to drag stuff home. I'm going to move my focus to "projects" and do one at a time. Easier once I can actually find my workbench in the garage. Hurry Klutter Busters!

My work with the League of Women Voters is off to a good start. I have organized a public presentation on Immigration reform. It happens on January 24th and I am hoping for a good turnout. I've managed to get my news releases sent out (flu infected, no doubt) and as a result we have received a good deal of publicity. The panel discussion will be led by representatives from a new initiative in AZ. called the S.A.N.E. approach to immigration reform. If you are interested in more information on this group they have a website www.therealarizona.org

At the end of the month I am flying to St. Augustine, Florida to spend a week with my friend Sandy and check out her new digs. She finally was able to move away from Mexico Beach, Florida and is now in a much more enjoyable and supportive environment. I haven't heard her this happy in decades. Does my heart good!

My most exciting news is the publication of my first poem. I submitted to a new art and literature magazine published in Port Townsend, WA. They accepted and published one poem. The magazine is called "IS TOO" and is available through www.writersworkshoppe.com The poem is called:

Beach WalkingMy foot falls on wet sandAnd I sink just a littleI'm not the first to walk hereBut the impressionsOf previous intrusionsHave been whispered awayBy the steady ripplesOf salt water coming to shoreAnd retreating, leaving no signOf who or what came beforeI hear the whisperOf my own presenceBeing washed awayAnd I am in wonderAt the unceasing, inevitableMovement of the waterMoment by momentCleansing away the History of this sandy shoreIt makes me askDoes our being here really matter?